Field of the Invention
A method and apparatus for producing an image of an input/output system for an industrial automation system, comprising storing in a field bus coupler at least one image data file containing image data, transmitting the image data from the image data file to a service computer connected with the field bus coupler, and generating and displaying in the service computer an image that is a function of the image data transmitted from the field bus coupler.
Description of Related Art
In industrial automation systems, field buses for transmitting control data and/or measured values between one or more central control computers, also referred to as master computers or programmable memory controller (PMC), and field apparatus are exchanged. Field apparatus of a commonly needed and frequently used type consist of input/output modules that provide analog and/or digital input and/or output channels by means of which the installation components can be controlled and measured values can be read, for example, by sensors. Due to the large number of such input/output modules used in most industrial automation systems, such modules are often not connected directly to the field bus, but via the field bus coupler mentioned at the start, which represents a data interface between the field bus, on the one hand, and an often proprietary sub-bus, on the other hand. A plurality of bus-compatible modules, for example, the mentioned input/output modules, can be coupled to the sub-bus. The combination of a field bus coupler with optionally several modules is referred to as an input/output system or also a remote I/O (input/output) system.
The field bus coupler also referred to as field bus gateway is as a rule also used for the configuration of the connected modules. For this purpose, the field bus coupler is connected to an external (service) computer by means of which configuration, setup, startup and/or maintenance of the field bus coupler as well as of the connected modules can occur. The mentioned processes of startup, setup, configuration and maintenance are referred to collectively as service processes below. Frequently, for carrying out the service processes, a dedicated service interface, for example, a USB (universal series bus) data interface is provided on the field bus coupler. Alternatively, the mentioned processes can also occur via a control computer connected to the field bus. In the context of the application, the computer from which a service process is carried out is referred to as service computer, regardless of whether this computer is connected via the field bus or via the separate service interface to the field bus coupler.
For carrying out the service processes, it is often helpful if a graphic image of the field bus coupler and optionally of the connected module is displayed. For example, in this way it is easier for the user to understand an allocation of connections to certain channels that can be addressed in a control program and their designation. Service programs running on the service computer for carrying out the service processes are for this purpose capable of overlaying an image of the fieldbus coupler and of the optionally connected modules on a screen of the service computer. To be able to establish this image, a collection (library) with a plurality of graphic files is stored on the control computer, files in which in each case one or more images of possible components of an input/output system are contained. The library here should comprise images of all the available components of one or more product families that can be used within the input/output system. In the case of expansion of the range of products offered and/or modification of the design of certain components, this library accordingly is no longer complete or no longer up to date, and, under some circumstances, it can reproduce only insufficiently the graphic image of the input/output system. As a result, there is a need to be able to adapt the library on the service computer continuously in the context of updating (updates) to the current product portfolio.
The present invention was developed to provide a method and an input/output system, in which an image of the input/output system is provided on a service computer, without the need for an expensive continual updating of a library on the service computer.